This Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Chicken Breast is juicy and tender on the inside with a slight char on the outside, giving it a subtle smoky flavor, along with hints of garlic and lemon.
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I love cooking chicken in my air fryer because it seals in the natural juices, preventing the chicken from drying out. It always turns out juicy and perfectly cooked without much effort, and very little oil is needed to get a get a bit of a crust on the outside, compared to pan frying.
Recipe Highlights
- Marinated for 10 minutes before air frying for extra flavour
- Light crispy char on the outside with hints of smokiness
- Perfect for meal prepping (shredding or chopping) in salads, tacos, wraps and poke bowls
You can shred or shop air fried chicken breasts for make ahead lunches and pair it with this orzo pesto pasta salad or even this vegetable yaki udon.
Ingredients
How To Make
- Mix Marinade: Combine olive oil, sea salt, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, minced garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Marinate Chicken: Place chicken breasts in a large bowl, pour marinade over, and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 10 minutes only (longer marination may start to cook the chicken).
- Preheat Air Fryer: Set Air Fryer to 190°C (375°F).
- Arrange Chicken: Place chicken breasts in Air Fryer without overlapping pieces.
- Cook Chicken: Air fry for 8 minutes, flip, then cook another 2 minutes. Check for doneness. Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to do 2 batches as its important to no overcrowd the basket - this will restrict the air circulation and prevent the chicken from cooking evenly.
- Adjust Cooking Time as Needed: Cooking time varies by Air Fryer model and chicken size. Smaller breasts typically need 10-12 minutes, while larger ones may need up to 15 minutes.
Top Tip
Chicken breasts can dry out quickly, so it’s essential to monitor cooking time closely. For medium-sized chicken breasts in an air fryer, start checking for doneness around the 8–10 minute mark. For larger chicken breasts, begin checking at 12 minutes.
For more Air Fryer Recipes, check out this Air Fryer Calamari, Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites and these Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs.
Air fryer cooking times for chicken
- Medium-sized chicken breasts (about 170 grams):
- Cook at: 190°C (375°F)
- Cooking time: 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Large chicken breasts (about 280 grams):
- Cook at: 190°C (375°F)
- Cooking time: 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Shredding Air Fried Chicken
This is my favorite way to use marinated chicken cooked in the sir fryer. You'll need two forks and I let the cooked chicken rest for a few minutes let the juices settle. I then use one fork to hold the chicken steady while I pull apart the meat with the second fork, starting from one end and working my way down. This method gives me tender, bite-sized pieces perfect for tacos, salads, poke bowls or sandwiches!
Storing and Reheating
Store chicken in an air tight container in the fridge for upto 3 to 4 days. To reheat, I prefer using the microwave. I'll put the chicken into a microwave safe container and reheat on high. I find this method adds moisture back into the chicken than using the air fryer reheat. Plus the microwave is more convenient!
Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 680 grams boneless skinless chicken breast - see note 1
Marinate ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare Marinade: Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 2 teaspoon italian seasoning3 tablespoon lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Marinate Chicken: Place 680 grams boneless skinless chicken breast into a large bowl and then pour over marinated sauce. Mix until well combined. Let it marinate for 10 minutes, don’t do it longer; otherwise, lemon juice will start çooking the chicken meat.
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 190C/375F: Then, add chicken breast. You can place as many pieces as the size of your Air Fryer allows without them being overlapped.
- Cook: Cook chicken for 8 minutes, then turn them over, cook for another 2 minutes, and check. Cooking time will vary from one Air fryer to the other and will be based on the size and shape of your chicken breast. (See note 3)
- Let it Rest: Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking to let the juices redistribute, keeping it moist.
Notes
- Chicken Size: 680 grams or 1.5 pounds may roughly equate to two large or three regular chicken breasts. The following is a guide:
-
-
- Medium-sized chicken breasts (about 170 grams):
-
- Cook at: 190°C (375°F)
-
- Cooking time: 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
-
- Medium-sized chicken breasts (about 170 grams):
-
- Large chicken breasts (about 280 grams):
-
- Cook at: 190°C (375°F)
-
- Cooking time: 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
-
- Large chicken breasts (about 280 grams):
-
- Checking for doneness: Chicken breasts can dry out quickly, so it’s essential to monitor cooking time closely. For medium-sized chicken breasts in an air fryer, start checking for doneness around the 8–10 minute mark. For larger chicken breasts, begin checking at 12 minutes.
- Air Fryer Size: Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to do 2 batches as its important to no overcrowd the basket - this will restrict the air circulation and prevent the chicken from cooking evenly.
- Use: shred or dice chicken to use in sandwiches, wraps, poke bowls, or tacos for make ahead meal prepping
- Storage: Chicken should be stored in an air tight container (either whole, shredded or diced) for upto 4 days.
Nutrition
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
Denise says
This was good! I would definitely make it again!
Jacinta says
I made this last night & it was better than I expected, I thought the chicken breast might be dry but it wasn't it was perfect. They took about 15 minutes in the airfryer & the edges did go crispy, so good. Will be making again.